After the Storm
by SparklingSnowflake
Summary: Kiara and Kovu loves each other and they want their feuding prides to understand that, so how will they work out their prides' differences? How will Zira push through her guilt and trauma with being by Scar's side when he ruled? How will the royal family be able to help her out?
1. After the Storm: Guilt and Love

**After the Storm is a short story split up into chapters. Each chapter will be put into a separate chapter as the story can also act as a related multiple oneshots story. **

Kiara was very saddened by Kovu's exile and even though she was angry at her father, she knew that she had to run away before she could say anymore hurtful words towards her father? _Why did I say that to him? He's my father and I've told him that he will never be Grandfather. What was I thinking? _Kiara thought as guilt flowed throughout her being, but she knew that even though anger had caused her to say such things, it was almost like the Kings of the Past had agreed with her as thunder had sounded after she had spoken out of turn against her father.

As she ran away from Pride Rock, something was tugging her towards the pond and when she arrived at the pond, something made her spoke. "Kovu?" She called out to him and obviously, he wasn't at the water. Kiara sighed sadly and she looked into her own reflection and to her shock, she wasn't looking at her full reflection, she was looking at only half of herself. That was when she knew that she was incomplete without Kovu. She couldn't believe it. What they had was true love, something that her father didn't see and she sighed. _Of course he wouldn't see that. Kovu is a Outlander and I'm a Pridelander, but I still love him regardless, even though I know that I wouldn't love him._ Kiara thought as she walked around the grasslands that was now covered in ash from the fire that had been set a little while before. Kiara watched the other couples that mingled and she glanced up into the sky, seeing the stars align into pictures of two cubs and Kiara immediately thought of her and Kovu as cubs, innocently playing with one another before their parents had split them up because of the hatred that they both had for one another.

Despite not knowing Kovu for a long time, Kiara could tell that the lion was a changed male. Despite his violent personality at first, Kiara managed to warm her way into his cold heart and Kiara didn't know if Kovu hated her for distracting him from his mission, but even so, she could feel the love in his eyes, a fact that made Kiara know that Kovu couldn't have wanted to kill her father. She had heard him mumbling to himself about his mother's mission for him and Kiara could see the discomfort in his eyes as he thought about how to tell Simba about his mother's plot.

\- With Simba -

Simba was pacing back and forth. He was deeply angered by Kiara's words, but he had to ignore his daughter's nonsense in order to focus on the most important thing: Zira's attacking pride. He knew that Scar's heir would have done what he had done, but to have used his daughter was a big factor as to why Simba had exiled him. He also couldn't believe that _Kovu _had brainwashed his sweet, innocent daughter into falling in love with him.

_"You'll never be Mufasa!" _But the words that was said had both scarred and angered him to the point that his judgement was getting cloudy. A roar of anger had escaped Simba's throat and Nala watched on sadly, being unable to calm down her mate.

**I'm am so sorry about the canceling of my Naruto fanfiction, but the lack of ideas and inspiration was the cause of me not being able to write anymore of the story. But I will work on my other stories and write more oneshots. **


	2. After the Storm: Love will Find a Way

**Reviews are welcome! I am wanting to know my readers' opinions on my stories. Also, I don't know how long will this run for, but I will try not to keep it ongoing for so long as I do have other stories and I may write a Lion King story, but if I do write oneshots of the Lion King, I will just put them here in this collection. Here is the second part to After the Storm!**

As Kiara stared at the ash very sadly, she knew that she wanted Kovu to be with her in her time of need, even though she couldn't have been there for him in his time of need. She knew that she was very selfish in her thinking, but she wanted to be there for Kovu, but her father doesn't understand. He didn't let Kovu try and explain what was wrong. She knew that Kovu was scared of his mother; she had seen the cruel lioness when she was a cub! She had seen the evilness in her eyes when she simply stared down at her and laughed. It was creepy and Kiara couldn't deny that!

As Kiara looked around her surroundings, all she saw was other couples and all she thought about how much she missed Kovu. She wanted Kovu to be here with her, but she wondered if they would ever have their happily ever after due to their feuding families. She then hears soft footsteps behind her. Taking a chance, she turned around and she noticed Kovu looking at her with such longing and love in his eyes that it made her run to him. Kovu ran to her as well and when they reached one other, they hugged each other and Kiara licked Kovu on his face.

While they enjoyed being with one another, their reflection turned into one lion and Kiara perked her head up when Kovu spoke. "Hey, look. We are one." Kovu chuckled as he believed his words to be foolish, but true. Kiara perked her head up because she was remembering when her father said that same line to her when she was just a cub. _This was what he was talking about. _She thought as she thought about it more. "Let's run away together and start a pride all of our own." Kovu says, wanting to be with Kiara together forever.

While Kiara loved the idea, she knew that she didn't like the fact of leaving their two families to act one another forever and the thought that they would be divided forever hurt Kiara's heart. "Kovu, I love the idea, but we have to go back and before you say anything, do you really want our prides to be divided forever?" Kiara asked Kovu. Kovu thought about it and knowing that he will have to face his mother and sister once again made him worry more about the fact that he knew that his mother was a vicious lioness and he knew that she would try to attack Kiara or Simba or both. Kiara nuzzled against Kovu's chest and Kovu nuzzled her back. "Don't be so worried. I'm sure we can figure out a plan." She tells Kovu and Kovu smiled at his mate.

"I love how you think." He spoke to her with a grin. Kiara giggled at him.

"And I love you." She responded. Kovu followed behind Kiara as he knew that she knew a shortcut to get back to the Pridelands. However, when they arrived, Kiara feared that they were too late as the fighting had became even more harsh than ever.

"Don't worry, Kiara. We can stop them." Kovu tells Kiara and she looked back at him, about to cry.

"We have to." She begged him. Kovu wanted to comfort Kiara in her time of need, but she decided to just suck it up and cry about it later.

Before Zira and Simba could attack one other, both of their teenage lions leaped out in front of them, Kiara facing her father and Kovu facing his mother. Both adult lions were shocked and they both demanded that they move. "I won't let you hurt Kiara or Simba. Not while I'm here." Kovu tells his mother, who looked at him shocked and angered. Simba glared at Kiara, although worried about her being close to Kovu, but the look that Kiara gave him made him a little terrified.

"We are one. I didn't understand the wise King that told me that once, but now I do." Kiara tells Simba, who brightened up when Kiara started to explain her reasoning to her father.

**I was going to make this end with Zira causing both her and Kiara to go over the cliff, but I'm saving that for the last chapter of After the Storm. So, Chapter 3 of After the Storm will be the last chapter of this short story.**


	3. After the Storm: We are One

**The only reason that I've made After the Storm it's own story is because it's a short story that I thought was good enough to stand on it's own even though it will stay in Lion King collection as well. I may write a longer Lion King story, but I'm not sure yet. This story will about how Zira is trying to push through her guilt and trauma while Scar was King after Simba's self exile. The rating may change, but I will warn readers now that the story will get darker. **

**Note: After the Storm will be made longer and I will update the story's description when needed. Lion King AU as Zira survives in this story and characters are OOC. **

Kiara couldn't believe how cruel Zira was as she glared at Kovu with so much hate. Simba glared back at Zira, but his glare softened when he noticed how worried Kiara was looking. "Let it go, Zira. The past is in the past." Simba started to lecture to Zira and she snarled at him, not willing to hear him out.

"I will never let it go." When Simba noticed the logs creaking, his attention was taken away from the enemy. "This is for you, Scar." With a roar, Zira leaped in order to get Simba over the ledge of the cliff, but Kiara countered her by letting Zira grab her. Zira growled as she had missed her target. Kiara glared at Zira with such ferociousness that Zira was almost proud of Kovu's choice in mate, but because she was aiming for Simba, she was angered by the fact that the lioness had managed to stop her from getting Simba over the ledge of the cliff. _Pesky little! _Her train of thought was lost when she noticed that she was heading towards the very heavily flowing river and she flinched in fear. She still couldn't get over her fear of cliffs after almost tossed over by one by Scar in one of his madness moments despite the fact she thought that he did this in order to see if she would scream for him to save her, when in actuality, Scar was trying to kill her. When Kiara noticed her reaction to being over the ledge, she didn't know if she wanted to be comforting towards the lioness or shocked at Zira's reactions. _I don't blame her for being scared, but this is too dangerous! _Kiara thought as she helped herself up and she glanced to see Zira struggling with figuring out what to do. When Kiara noticed the look of fear on Zira's face, something awoken in her and she reached her paw down towards Zira and Zira seemed shock to see that the Princess was helping her out.

"Zira, give me your paw." Kiara's words made Zira remember that she was the enemy to her and she lashed out at her, but despite the older lioness lashing out at her, Kiara grabbed her paw and her sudden movement of grabbing Zira's paw made Zira have a flashback to Scar grabbed her and hurting her. Zira flinched and Kiara was shocked to see that the lioness had flinched at her. _Why is she so afraid of me? I'm not going to hurt her. Don't tell me... _Kiara stopped thinking as she pulled Zira up to safety. _Damn it! _Kiara thought as she pulled hard onto Zira to get her to safety. When Zira was on the rock beside her, she was frozen in fear and she was shaking. Kiara didn't try to speak to her as she didn't want to scare her even more.

When Simba noticed Zira, his face changed and he was met from an glare by his daughter and he backed off when he noticed the state that Zira was actually in. _Did Scar hurt her before his death? _Simba wondered as he noticed how Zira kept on flinching away when Kiara would gently tell her to go towards her father. "No. He'll hurt me." Zira had finally spoken, but her words was a shock to both Simba and Kiara. "Scar will hurt me if I come any closer." Zira whimpered as she tried to hide herself by curling into a ball. Simba was shocked and he didn't want to scare the lioness even more as he noticed how angry Kiara was getting.

"Daddy, go get Mom and tell her the situation." Kiara gave her first order as a young Queen and when Simba noticed it, he nodded his head and he started his passage back to his wife and mate. When he had finally arrived back, Nala was wondering why he was back alone.

"Kiara is fine, but Zira's is traumatized. Kiara asked me to come get you." Simba tells Nala and the Queen was shocked as she realized that her daughter had taken her first act as Queen, even if it meant ordering her father to do something for her. Nala felt proud of Kiara.

"Alright. I will go. You will watch us?" Nala asked to make sure. Simba grinned at Nala.

"You know that I will always keep my family safe." Simba reassured Nala and the lioness went off to find Kiara and Zira. When she had found Kiara and Zira, Nala was surprised to see that Zira had curled up into a ball. Only her birthmark on her head and her still tail was visible and she was glad that Kiara was comforting the lioness the best way she knew how: by nuzzling her. When Kiara noticed her mother, she was already increasingly protective and she growled slightly. When Nala heard the growl, she wanted to get angry, but she couldn't. She had known how much Kiara had cared about Kovu's entire family and if it meant trying to prove to Zira that she wouldn't hurt her, then Kiara would do exactly that.

"How is she?" Nala thread lightly when her question and Kiara opened her eyes to see that her mother was in a nonthreatening pose and she smiled softly as she gently pushed Zira's head.

"Help is here." She whispered to the broken lioness. Zira raised her head to see Nala peering down at her with nothing but worry and she sighed in relief to see another lioness. Nala was shocked by her reaction to male lions, but due to her interactions with Scar, she knew that fear had to be deep within her for the evil black-maned lion. As Nala and Kiara helped Zira up the rocks of the cliff, they made sure that she wasn't hurting herself. When she had reached the top of the cliff, Simba's paw was raised towards hers and Simba made no sharp movement when he realized that she was still terrified of him. However when Zira looked over him, she didn't see anything of Scar on him. Not his piercing green eyes, black mane, dark skin and sharp claws made to kill. All she saw was Simba, the rightful King of Priderock and she reached out to give her paw to his. As Simba helped her help, Kovu and Vitani approached their mother. When Zira saw Kovu, she had remembered Scar and not her gentle son that she had raised after she had properly adopted while she was in Sarabi's care. Kiara approached Kovu and told him of his mother's unfortunate situation and he sighed, feeling sad that he couldn't just approach her simply because he looks like the lion that ruined his mother's life. "Don't worry, Kovu. She will come around. Give her time." Kiara tells Kovu and the young male lion nodded at his mate's wise words.

"Thank you for saving her and me." Kovu tells Kiara, very grateful for her actions. Kiara merely grinned. When she had thought up of a proper response, she spoke.

"You're my mate and I care about your family, Kovu." Kiara tells Kovu and he smiled at how caring and loving Kiara was. As Nala and Vitani was tending to Zira, Simba was watching and listening to the interaction of Kiara and Kovu. Oh, how foolish he felt when he didn't listen to Kovu and now that he was looking at Zira's condition, he knew that she was actually deeply traumatized by the actions of Scar. _Can she made docile again? My mother would always talk about how docile and loving she was whens she was a young cub. _Simba thought as he wanted Zira to be back to her old self again.

"Kovu." Simba called out and when Kovu stepped up to him, Simba was smiling at him. "I was wrong. You belong here." He spoke, knowing that he was in the wrong. Kiara approached her father and she gave him an guilty look. Simba noticed the look, but he had already forgiven her.

"I'm sorry too, Daddy. I was out of line." Kiara tells Simba and his smile became even warmer if that was possible.

"It's fine. I know you were only acting out of love and concern." Simba tells Kiara and she went back to Kovu to nuzzle him and Kovu nuzzled her back in affection. Simba grinned at how happy they were. He turned when he noticed that the lionesses were gathering around. He noticed that Vitani was now with the lionesses and he turned to see Nala walking with Zira and when they stopped in front of them, Zira had flattened her ears.

"I'm sorry about my actions toward you." Zira was very embarrassed and horrified by her murderous actions. She couldn't believe that she had acted like that towards the royal family. With her guility expression on her face, both Simba and Nala knew that Zira would have a rough time forgiving herself over her actions. When all of the lionesses had lined up, Simba looked at Rafiki and the male mandrill smirked and he raised his stick at Kovu and Kiara, who were nuzzling each other.

Simba and Nala approached the ends of Priderock and Kovu and Kiara followed from behind as they made a line of the royal family with Kovu serving as Kiara's prince consort. They all roared as the manes was being blown gently by the wind and Simba's hears the soft whispers of his father. _"Well done, my son. We are one." _Mufasa's words sounded in Simba's ears and Simba was glad that he didn't fail his father.

**I am adding another author's note down here in order to let readers know that I appreciate you all clicking this story and reading it. Please review and favorite and/or follow. **


	4. After the Storm: The Day After

It has been one day after everything had happened. Zira still felt guilty for being misled and possessed by her senseless revenge for Scar, but even as Simba and his family had forgiven her for everything, they knew that she would still feel guilty because of what she had almost done to the family. When Kovu noticed that his mother was sleeping outside of the cave, he wanted her to come in, but when Simba approached him, he spoke to him. "Give your mother a few days. She is still in shock." He tells Kovu and he sighed.

"But, she'll be cold when it gets dark." Kovu tells Simba and Simba turned to Nala.

"Me and Simba will make sure that she is warm for the nights that she doesn't come into the cave." Nala promised Kovu and Kovu turned towards his mother, who was whimpering in her sleep and he frowned at her state. He didn't want to leave her alone, but he knew that she will not want to talk to anyone for a few days. "Don't worry, Kovu. We'll make sure that she will be up to speed soon." Nala tells Kovu.

"Thank you." He was very grateful to them helping out his mother as he knew that he couldn't help her out, despite wanting to want her out. As he entered the cave to lay with Kiara, Simba and Nala approached Zira.

"Zira." Nala softly called out to the wary lioness and she turned her head back to the King and Queen out of respect. When she noticed Simba, she had suddenly gained memories of Scar and she quickly raised her entire body. In Zira's eyes, all she saw was Scar.

**"You're a worthless lioness for a mate! That's why I wanted Nala!" **The shouting of his cruel words and the pain of his paw striking her face and her being knocked down due to his brute force towards females.

"I'm sorry. I tried to be a good mate, Scar. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Zira repeated like it was her lifeline and Simba glanced at Nala and she was looking at Zira in horror at her words and actions. She was cowering and Nala glanced at Simba.

"I'm sorry Simba, but I want you to do back into the cave. Your presence is aggravating her memories and her trauma." Nala tells Simba and he glanced down at Zira as he frowned at her mental state.

"It's fine. It will help her out." Simba says, nuzzling Nala and without thinking, he nuzzled Zira and he froze, waiting for either Nala or Zira to strike him down, but the hit never came. Nala grinned at Simba.

"I won't hit you for trying to comfort her. She has that effect on any lion that speaks to her now." Nala reminded Simba and he cleared his throat.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll see you later on." He told her and he departed from them. After Simba had departed, Nala stuck to nuzzling Zira until she was calm enough to come out of hiding. When Zira was comfortable with not hiding anymore, she gave Nala an guilty look.

"Don't look like that. It's fine. It's okay." Nala tells Zira and the lioness whined a bit.

"I shouldn't be this afraid of a male lion, but Scar...he..." Zira dropped it after two pauses and Nala wasn't going to force her to tell.

"You can tell me when you're ready." Nala comforted Zira and Zira sighed, dropping her head on her forelegs.

"My Queen." Zira called out to Nala and when Nala showed her full attention to Zira, she opened her mouth and she immediately started to sob. Heavily concerned about Zira, Nala didn't leave her side.

"The pain he put me through was so unbearable! For a quick moment, I wanted you to replace me, but I didn't want you to suffer through what I was suffering through." Zira revealed to Nala and she was horrified by the fact that Zira didn't tell anyone. "I would have told, but he told me to not to." Zira tells Nala and Nala became even more enraged at the dead lion that tormented her pride even in death. _He puts both her and Simba through pain and agony. _She thought as she growled to herself.


End file.
